The Post Up: Lovely LeBron

Tell me this, is anyone going to grab a road win in Cleveland before the regular season ends?

Honestly, the Cavs look damn unstoppable on their homefloor. Last night was no exception as the Blazers managed to force overtime only to have LeBron claim his 7th triple-double this season and also steal back the win.

Skeets said last night, “Please stop trying to tell me LeBron James isn’t this season’s MVP. You sound like a fool.” I don’t think I can disagree with this statement.

LUUUUUUKE dunking over Ronny Turiaf really was too much for me. My heart almost jumped out of my chest because I was so surprised. Really, Luke Walton!

The refs really let the calls go in that Lakers/Warriors game and it got kind of ugly.

It was great to see Monta continue to work his way back and find his rhythm.

Could the Suns possibly make the playoffs? They’ve got to face Dallas once more this season and are currently 3.5 games back after the Mavs lost in ATL last night. It just doesn’t seem right to imagine the Suns watching from home.

The Bobcats are in town tonight and I’ve got to say, I think I’m the biggest Raja Bell fan who is also a Kobe fan. Actually, I’m probably top five Raja Bell fans, family included.

Quote of the night: “His jersey is longer than his drawers” -Chris Webber on Inside, speaking on Charles Barkley’s short-shorts and long jersey combo.

Can I just say once more how much I enjoy the presence of Chris Webber on Inside, NBATV and anywhere else that he feels like showing up? He’s fantastic.

Day one of the tourney is in the books, how’d you all do? I’m sure a lot of you were here, checking in with Justin Walsh and his liveblogging, but, tell me, favorite moment of yesterday? I’ve already had a few that have killed me, seeing the guys who lose, with their face in hands, jersey pulled up to cover tears, that just rips me. In a good way though. It makes me appreciate the game so much more.

Thoughts are with Coach Calhoun who, according to Charlie V’s twitter account, will be coaching today. Either way, thinking of him and wishing him health and wellness.

Cleveland 97 Portland 92 OT

After a disgustingly brutal first half that saw Cleveland lead, 36-34 (yes, at the half), the Blazers managed to stick with the Cavs despite being without LaMarcus Aldridge and Nicolas Batum. In the fourth, it appeared as though LeBron James would lead the Cavs to the win as he knocked down back to back shots to put his team up 86-82 with 34 seconds remaining but the craftiness of Brandon Roy drew back to back fouls on James and Roy then hit four free throws to tie the game up and force overtime. In the extra session however, the shorthanded Blazers stumbled, and went down by five before scoring their first basket of the period. By then, James had found his rhythm again and knocked down two more shots, including a beauty jump hook in the lane. Game over, Cleveland wins. Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 21 points for the Cavs while Joe Smith and Mo Williams each added 12. The Blazers had a 24-point, 7-rebound, 7-assist night from Brandon Roy, 17 points from Travis Outlaw and a 13-point, 11-rebound double double from Joel Pryzbilla.

LA Lakers 114 Golden State 106

This was a win for the Lakers, but it was an ugly one. With LA holding onto 52-51 lead at the break, it appeared as though the game was all but over in the third quarter when the Lakers rang off a 22-6 run to take an 18-point lead. LA allowed their guard to come down and forget they were playing the pesky Warriors and before they knew what had happened, Golden State had come back and trailed by only five points in the final minutes of the game. Kelenna Azubuike helped his team in their run, connecting on a career-high five three-pointers. With the game on the line, the Lakers were just a step ahead of the Blazers as Trevor Ariza knocked down a huge three to give his team some breathing room. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each scored 21 points with Gasol needing 10 less field goal attempts and also adding 14 rebounds. Lamar Odom had 16 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocked shots. Azubuike led the Warriors with 25 points and 8 rebounds as Monta Ellis added 27 points and Brandan Wright added 11 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.

Atlanta 95 Dallas 87

The Dallas Mavericks continue to lose games they need in their quest to keep a strong grip on the eighth playoff spot in the West. With the 95-87 loss to the Hawks, the Mavs keep the door cracked open for the Phoenix Suns who are now three and a half games back. With the Hawks victory, they now hold a four game lead over the Heat for homecourt advantage in the East. While the Hawks led early thanks to a second quarter that saw them outscore the Mavs 33-16, the Mavs tried their best to mount a comeback in the second half before falling short. Cutting the 17 point lead down to two at the start of the fourth quarter, the Mavs would not get any closer thanks to the solid play of Joe Johnson who finished with 24 points to lead the Hawks. Flip Murray added 19 points off of the bench, Al Horford had 13 points and 8 rebounds and Josh Smith scored 15. The Mavericks had 23 points and 12 rebounds from Dirk Nowitzki, 16 points from Antoine Wright and 13 from Ryan Hollins in the loss.